Santiago Ponzinibbio plans impressive debut at UFC Fight Night 32

GOIANIA, Brazil – Santiago Ponzinibbio‘s name doesn’t exactly roll of the tongue for most American fight fans, but it’s one the Argentine welterweight hopes to make known very soon.

With 18 wins in his first 19 professional fights, Ponzinibbio is ready to make a splash on the UFC scene.

“I think this fight will be a great test for me, to face someone at this level,” Ponzinibbio said.

Ponzinibbio (18-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who advanced to the finals of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2″ despite suffering a broken arm in the semifinals, was forced to withdraw from the final bout wail waiting for his radius bone to heal. He now makes his official UFC debut at Saturday’s “UFC Fight Night 32: Belfort vs. Henderson” event in Goiania, Brazil, where he takes on undefeated Ryan FaFlare (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

Oddsmakers have installed LaFlare as a slight favorite, and Ponzinibbio admits his opponent has a well-rounded skillset. Still, he believes the American does not present an insurmountable challenge.

“I watched his videos,” Ponzinibbio said. “I think he’s a very good athlete, very complete. He has great standup and knows jiu-jitsu.

“I think he’s an excellent opponent because this will truly be a challenge.”

Ponzinibbio knows he’s a relative unknown outside of Brazil, as his appearances on the reality series weren’t widely viewed outside of his adopted country. But the current Team Nogueira fighter, who also spent four years as part of Thiago Tavares‘ team, believes he can make an impact with the opportunity he’s been given.

A former kickboxer in Argentina, Ponzinibbio turned his attention to MMA, and the initial results have been impressive, with 16 stoppages counted among his 18 wins.

On Saturday, he hopes to impress a new audience with his game.

“Stay tuned,” Ponzinibbio said. “I guarantee we’ll be putting on a great fight. We’ll put on a great show in Goiania.”

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